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♪
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♪ soft choir singing ♪
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[children chattering, laughing]
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NIA: Here in Iowa, there is
something called "Iowa nice."
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It is really Iowa passive aggressiveness,
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and it is--
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no one is ever gonna say,
"I don't support you" to your face.
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They're going to be very kind to you,
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and then they're gonna have
a letter-writing campaign
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to get you kicked off of
whatever committee
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or whatever thing behind your back.
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♪
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KATIE:
We both grew up in Des Moines.
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We've been here our whole lives.
We've never left.
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NIA:
Yeah.
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And then, we both had similar home lives
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and church lives.
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We met in second grade,
and became really best friends in--
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KATIE: Eighth grade.
NIA: Yeah.
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You accepted me and I--
before I even could accept myself,
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and I don't know that you
even knew what it was,
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but you saw the essence of me,
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aside from gender.
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KATIE: In our small private school
and in our churches,
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when you dated,
you were dating to marry someone.
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So, when we started dating
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at 17 and 16, respectively,
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it was pretty much on the marriage track.
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♪
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[children chattering]
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I did want a really big family.
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That's just always been something for me,
that family is.
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And then, I loved the whole thing.
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I loved being pregnant,
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I loved giving birth.
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It was so fantastic. [laughs]
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And then they just kept coming,
and we were like,
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"Okay, let 'em come."
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And then we decided to adopt.
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♪
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They are so loved and well-respected
in our community.
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You know, because our kids are in school,
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they're seen more than we are,
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and so they really do pave the way.
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By the time that people get to us,
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they already know our kids,
and they're like,
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"Oh, you must be great
because your kids are fantastic."
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[inaudible]
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NIA:
I initially came out to myself,
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and came out to Katie the same day
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that I kind of came out to myself
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'cause I thought that was only fair
based on our relationship.
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When we told the kids,
she did a really good job
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of drawing a picture for them.
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♪
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KATIE: I drew a picture
for the kids that was,
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"Here's our bodies,
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"and some people have male bodies.
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"And some people have female bodies.
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"Here's our spirits.
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"Some people have male spirits,
very masculine spirits,
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"and some people have
very feminine spirits.
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"And so sometimes,
those things go together.
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"Other times, they don't go together.
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"So sometimes,
our outsides match our insides,
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"and sometimes they don't,
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and that's called being transgender."
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And they were like, "Okay, duh."
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Like, they didn't have
any reservations about it.
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- You wanna crack the eggs?
- Dads always crack the eggs!
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CHILD:
It was a little weird,
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but we all like kind of...
- Adapted.
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- Adapted pretty quickly.
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- Well, we just added an O to Mom.
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[laughter]
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[kitchen chatter]
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- Are we making scrambled eggs?
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- Yeah
CHILD: We still call both of them Mom,
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but it doesn't get confusing.
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It's just like we know
who we're talking about.
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- If I asked one of my moms
to come downstairs to tuck me in,
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the other one comes.
[laughter]
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- Mom, I'll take three!
[chattering]
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NIA: Three?
- Three.
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NIA: You know, whatever they needed
to call me, they could call me.
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And so, they called me Dad for a long time
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after I had come out,
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and even after I had started to transition
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and had come out really publicly,
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and we finally got to a point
where we were
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on a cross-country road trip
down to Texas,
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and we were in a Southern state
in a gas station,
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and I'm coming out
of the women's restroom,
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and they're yelling across the Conoco
or whatever it was,
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"Dad! Dad!" whatever.
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And we got in the car, and I said, "Okay.
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"We might need to rethink this
because this,
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this may end up not being safe for us."
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Within the hour,
they were like, "How about Momo?"
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And I'm like, that's great, you know?
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And they switched like on a dime,
and have not looked back.
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- It's on your French toast.
- Yeah, but it's not on this one.
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NIA:
It's more unusual here in rural Iowa
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to have two parents
with the same gender.
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So, it's coming out more,
but they're pretty good,
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and they know how to handle
that kind of stuff.
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♪
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My family was very surprised.
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I think they thought
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they had the all-American man
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and father and son.
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They came back immediately and said,
"I love-- We love you." You know?
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And that was kind of it.
And I thought, oh, that's a good response.
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And then, it kind of,
from there, you know,
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more discussion about religion
and things like that,
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which, um, kind of devolved over time,
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and so, they, they were surprised,
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and I think remain that way
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[laughs] to this day.
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I do not have contact with my parents
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or my sister.
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I do have a brother that I speak to.
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♪
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CHRIS:
It took me by surprise for sure.
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Nia and I's relationship has, um...
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it was incredibly strong.
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We were very close,
our families were very close.
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You know, over the years,
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it's just evolved into something
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that wasn't what it was before.
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KATIE: He kind of acted as
the middle man between Nia
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and the rest of the family.
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And I think that that's
a very difficult position for anyone.
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So, I would hope that that can be...
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mended to a place where we're close.
We're all close again.
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But I think too that
there's so many boundaries
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that have to be drawn
in order for everyone
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to stay safe and continue healing.
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NIA:
Katie was preaching at our church
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and it was a non-denominational
evangelical church.
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KATIE: I mean, the stance is
that homosexuality is a sin.
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That's the byline, right? [laughs]
NIA: Yeah, yeah.
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- And I think that there
is a push towards welcoming,
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but not affirming.
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I don't think the realization
has been made
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that that's more damaging
than just saying, "No."
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♪
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NIA:
When I came out,
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all of the energy got focused
onto Katie and her preaching.
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Nobody would outright say, you know,
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something that was transphobic,
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but it was, "Katie, your theology is bad."
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KATIE: I think the other layer to that,
too, with being a woman
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preaching in the evangelical context
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was already like,
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"We're allowing you to do this."
[laughs] Because we were
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a more progressive evangelical...
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non-denominational church.
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We just pushed beyond what that tradition
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was willing to hold.
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I desperately miss the church.
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♪
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[forced laugh]
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Nobody really asks me
this question, so sorry.
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There's like a lot of emotion
attached to it.
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I gave a significant amount
of my life to the church
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because I love the people so much.
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And I really love the ideas
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that Jesus represents.
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Of unconditional love,
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of reaching out to those
who are marginalized.
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I mean, probably because
I did have a queer identity.
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I didn't know it my whole life.
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That Jesus spoke those things to me,
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that I was acceptable.
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And it utterly breaks my heart
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that my unconditional love for Nia
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was the thing that had to break
my relationship with the church.
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Because, for me...
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it is the church.
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Like, for me, this is my religion.
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This is my faith.
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This kind of love.
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♪
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[street noise]
[indistinct chatter]
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JASPER: Yeah, I tried out
a couple different names
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and had like some close friends
use it with me
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and my siblings.
- Mm-hmm. Yeah.
189
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How did that process feel?
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- I mean, it was odd.
191
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- Yeah.
- Because there was nothing
192
00:09:11,885 --> 00:09:14,304
that felt right for a while.
- Yeah.
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I have found community in other places.
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That is the thing that
the church really gave me,
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and the thing that I loved about church
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was the relationship,
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and I think God is relationship,
and so, to me,
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you know, finding that in other places
is, is finding God elsewhere.
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- Yeah, absolutely. Hi! [laughs]
- Good to see you. Hi.
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KATIE: One of the biggest struggles for me
is finding belonging.
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When Nia came out,
finding my own label was really difficult.
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[overlapping chatter]
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00:09:46,253 --> 00:09:48,505
I'd like to say that Nia
gifted me my queerness.
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She really gifted me that
awareness that,
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you know, you thought
you were this one person,
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but because you didn't have
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the experiences that you needed,
you didn't get to find out
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that your whole person
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00:10:02,060 --> 00:10:04,313
is a lot richer and
deeper than you thought.
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00:10:05,731 --> 00:10:07,399
[laughter]
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00:10:07,399 --> 00:10:10,027
- Let's talk about a dream summit because
when was the last time we did that?
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KATIE: I say ambiguously queer
because I don't know.
213
00:10:15,115 --> 00:10:17,367
And I was just talking with another spouse
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00:10:17,367 --> 00:10:19,578
of another trans person the other day,
215
00:10:19,578 --> 00:10:20,954
and they were saying the same thing.
216
00:10:20,954 --> 00:10:23,665
"I don't really know where I fit.
217
00:10:23,665 --> 00:10:27,044
I don't know what label you'd put on me."
218
00:10:27,044 --> 00:10:30,547
So, I think we're like the labelless few
219
00:10:30,547 --> 00:10:32,299
[laughs] right now
220
00:10:32,299 --> 00:10:35,886
of, you know, spouses of people
who have transitioned.
221
00:10:35,886 --> 00:10:38,805
And I think, for most of us,
we're okay with that.
222
00:10:39,181 --> 00:10:41,767
But it does feel a little bit like
223
00:10:41,767 --> 00:10:44,019
where do we belong
inside of the queer community?
224
00:10:44,019 --> 00:10:47,022
[laughter, chatter]
[clapping]
225
00:10:47,648 --> 00:10:50,943
I keep asking you!
[children chattering]
226
00:10:50,943 --> 00:10:53,028
NIA: We have thought
about leaving the Midwest.
227
00:10:53,028 --> 00:10:55,697
- We think about leaving
the Midwest all the time.
228
00:10:57,241 --> 00:10:59,576
NIA:
It seems like on a daily basis,
229
00:10:59,576 --> 00:11:01,537
our state does not want us here
230
00:11:01,537 --> 00:11:02,996
as queer individuals.
231
00:11:02,996 --> 00:11:04,706
[chattering]
232
00:11:04,706 --> 00:11:08,252
We legalized gay marriage 13 years ago.
233
00:11:08,252 --> 00:11:11,046
Now, we've swung the other direction,
234
00:11:11,046 --> 00:11:14,550
and we are with all of the states
that are leading the way
235
00:11:14,550 --> 00:11:16,927
with anti-LGBTQ legislation.
236
00:11:16,927 --> 00:11:20,597
[chatter continues]
237
00:11:20,597 --> 00:11:23,267
What really got me involved
in kind of the political scene
238
00:11:23,267 --> 00:11:25,686
was they tried to take
the gender identity protection
239
00:11:25,686 --> 00:11:27,187
out of Iowa code.
240
00:11:27,187 --> 00:11:29,940
Which would mean, if that was gone,
I could get fired,
241
00:11:29,940 --> 00:11:32,401
I could be denied housing,
I could, you know,
242
00:11:32,401 --> 00:11:34,778
be denied credit for being a trans person.
243
00:11:34,778 --> 00:11:37,281
[chatter continues]
244
00:11:37,281 --> 00:11:39,950
I think the biggest struggle
in the trans community
245
00:11:39,950 --> 00:11:43,203
is being seen, and it feels like
246
00:11:43,203 --> 00:11:45,330
we're not seen at all.
247
00:11:45,330 --> 00:11:49,042
As humans, as people
who have lives and kids.
248
00:11:49,042 --> 00:11:51,378
♪
249
00:11:51,378 --> 00:11:54,923
We're an issue currently,
and it's hard because,
250
00:11:54,923 --> 00:11:56,425
other than
one-to-one conversations,
251
00:11:56,425 --> 00:11:58,719
how do you help people understand that
252
00:11:58,719 --> 00:12:00,429
these are our lives
that we're talking about?
253
00:12:00,429 --> 00:12:01,722
They're not issues.
254
00:12:01,722 --> 00:12:05,684
[chatter continues]
255
00:12:06,727 --> 00:12:09,438
KATIE: I still don't feel rooted
into this community.
256
00:12:09,438 --> 00:12:11,023
But, you wonder,
257
00:12:11,023 --> 00:12:13,775
do we stay and fight,
or do we go somewhere?
258
00:12:13,775 --> 00:12:15,277
But, where do you go?
259
00:12:15,277 --> 00:12:18,697
Where putting down roots is acceptable?
260
00:12:18,697 --> 00:12:20,991
Where there's stability and safety.
261
00:12:20,991 --> 00:12:23,577
Because it does feel like, at any moment,
262
00:12:23,577 --> 00:12:26,038
anywhere, it could change.
263
00:12:26,038 --> 00:12:29,041
[laughter, chatter]
264
00:12:34,755 --> 00:12:38,008
♪
265
00:12:41,512 --> 00:12:44,681
MONTE: In this community,
we 100% stand out.
266
00:12:44,681 --> 00:12:45,766
MARIO:
Absolutely.
267
00:12:45,766 --> 00:12:47,893
- We are probably one of the...
268
00:12:47,893 --> 00:12:50,812
one out of three Black families,
let alone gay families.
269
00:12:52,814 --> 00:12:56,276
A lot of people assume that
we're brothers or cousins.
270
00:12:56,985 --> 00:12:59,947
You just know they're kind of like,
"What is this? Like,
271
00:12:59,947 --> 00:13:00,989
which one? Who's the--"
272
00:13:00,989 --> 00:13:03,075
- "This is new in Midwest Nebraska."
273
00:13:03,075 --> 00:13:04,701
- Yeah.
- "What is this?"
274
00:13:04,701 --> 00:13:06,787
[TV chatter]
275
00:13:06,787 --> 00:13:10,082
Spink will be over here as well.
[indistinct]
276
00:13:10,415 --> 00:13:13,335
MONTE: They never assume
that we're dating until we tell them,
277
00:13:13,335 --> 00:13:15,712
and then they're like, which one's
more masculine, more effeminate?
278
00:13:16,421 --> 00:13:18,632
You know, we're just who we are.
279
00:13:18,632 --> 00:13:21,552
♪
280
00:13:24,847 --> 00:13:28,267
Our baby brings joy.
281
00:13:28,267 --> 00:13:29,893
When I see her,
282
00:13:29,893 --> 00:13:32,896
I am just overwhelmed with emotion,
and, wow.
283
00:13:32,896 --> 00:13:35,482
This little sweet thing loves me,
284
00:13:35,482 --> 00:13:37,025
regardless of what I do.
285
00:13:38,694 --> 00:13:41,363
All she knows is her dads,
286
00:13:41,363 --> 00:13:43,198
and her surrogate mom, who's involved.
287
00:13:43,198 --> 00:13:44,992
[indistinct chatter]
288
00:13:45,409 --> 00:13:47,911
MARIO: Ariel is the biological mother
of our child.
289
00:13:47,911 --> 00:13:50,497
We did mystery sperm.
- Mystery sperm. Mm-hmm.
290
00:13:50,497 --> 00:13:52,666
- And so, you know, we did our thing,
291
00:13:52,666 --> 00:13:54,668
put it in the cup, swirled it around.
292
00:13:54,668 --> 00:13:56,461
- So that we both had a fair chance.
- Yep.
293
00:13:56,461 --> 00:13:58,964
[inaudible]
294
00:13:58,964 --> 00:14:01,341
- I got my hair done today,
and they're like, "So...
295
00:14:01,341 --> 00:14:02,968
How'd you hear?
Like, did you sign up for this?"
296
00:14:02,968 --> 00:14:05,804
I'm like, no, I...
- It just kinda came about.
297
00:14:05,804 --> 00:14:07,514
- Yeah. I was like,
I actually know these guys.
298
00:14:08,223 --> 00:14:11,810
Mario and Monte told us
they were looking to have a baby.
299
00:14:11,810 --> 00:14:14,354
My cousins actually joked, like,
"Hey, you should ask Ariel.
300
00:14:14,354 --> 00:14:16,732
She has super easy labors and births."
301
00:14:16,732 --> 00:14:19,193
- She calls, and says, "Hey,
302
00:14:19,193 --> 00:14:20,736
I would actually be willing to do that."
303
00:14:20,736 --> 00:14:23,447
♪
304
00:14:23,447 --> 00:14:25,073
- Hello!
305
00:14:25,073 --> 00:14:28,160
[baby cooing]
Hello. Hi, Daddy's baby girl.
306
00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,245
Little cute shoes.
- Oh, those are cute. I love that bow.
307
00:14:30,245 --> 00:14:31,622
MONTE:
Mm-hmm.
308
00:14:31,622 --> 00:14:33,957
ARIEL:
My mom was very supportive about it.
309
00:14:33,957 --> 00:14:35,292
My dad, not so much.
310
00:14:35,292 --> 00:14:38,212
He told me that, you know,
"I still don't believe in this,
311
00:14:38,212 --> 00:14:39,630
but you do what you wanna do."
312
00:14:39,630 --> 00:14:42,132
[children chattering]
MAN: Halle, look what I got.
313
00:14:42,132 --> 00:14:44,635
[paper crinkling]
[party chatter]
314
00:14:44,635 --> 00:14:46,512
ASHLEY: There's a lot of people
who are more conservative
315
00:14:46,512 --> 00:14:49,473
in our family and lean more towards
316
00:14:49,473 --> 00:14:51,433
like a traditional family.
317
00:14:51,433 --> 00:14:53,143
So, I think that played
into effect a little bit.
318
00:14:53,143 --> 00:14:54,895
[chatter continues]
319
00:14:54,895 --> 00:14:56,939
We don't wanna focus on that.
We wanna focus on the fact
320
00:14:56,939 --> 00:14:58,649
that Monte and Mario are here
321
00:14:58,649 --> 00:15:00,943
to have a family, a positive family,
322
00:15:00,943 --> 00:15:04,863
and raise Marayla with good values
and to be a good person.
323
00:15:04,863 --> 00:15:07,741
[indistinct chatter]
324
00:15:07,741 --> 00:15:09,993
MONTE:
We want to raise her somewhat opposite
325
00:15:09,993 --> 00:15:13,121
of how we were raised a little bit,
326
00:15:13,121 --> 00:15:16,208
like kind of forced to choose
and forced to be,
327
00:15:16,208 --> 00:15:18,377
you know, pretend to be
something that you're not.
328
00:15:18,961 --> 00:15:21,255
We believe in choice,
329
00:15:21,255 --> 00:15:23,966
when she's able to have choice,
330
00:15:23,966 --> 00:15:25,634
but we don't wanna
force her to do anything
331
00:15:25,634 --> 00:15:27,094
that she's not comfortable with.
332
00:15:29,179 --> 00:15:31,598
My grandfather was a pastor.
333
00:15:31,598 --> 00:15:33,433
Growing up in the church,
334
00:15:33,433 --> 00:15:35,769
that's all I knew.
335
00:15:35,769 --> 00:15:38,772
♪ singing gospel music ♪
336
00:15:38,772 --> 00:15:42,109
♪ drums, keyboard playing ♪
337
00:15:42,109 --> 00:15:45,487
- We met at the church.
I was a director of music.
338
00:15:46,738 --> 00:15:49,449
MONTE:
I think he noticed me more
before I noticed him.
339
00:15:50,409 --> 00:15:52,786
Well actually, he was flirting with me,
340
00:15:52,786 --> 00:15:53,912
and I didn't know that he was.
341
00:15:53,912 --> 00:15:55,873
I didn't even know that
he was gay, honestly.
342
00:15:58,041 --> 00:16:01,587
MARIO: I remember coming out
to my mom with Monte.
343
00:16:02,671 --> 00:16:05,299
That was scary because
344
00:16:05,299 --> 00:16:09,136
growing up in the church
and where everyone stands with that.
345
00:16:10,053 --> 00:16:14,266
Do you remember me coming out to you?
346
00:16:14,641 --> 00:16:17,269
- [pops lips] Yes.
MARIO: What was that like for you?
347
00:16:17,728 --> 00:16:19,688
- It was pretty traumatic.
348
00:16:19,688 --> 00:16:22,149
I cried probably for 72 hours.
349
00:16:22,733 --> 00:16:25,152
It affects me to this day
350
00:16:25,152 --> 00:16:27,321
because...
351
00:16:27,321 --> 00:16:29,907
in the Christian community,
352
00:16:31,491 --> 00:16:34,077
we still struggle with that.
353
00:16:34,870 --> 00:16:36,163
- Okay.
354
00:16:36,538 --> 00:16:39,041
Have you ever prayed, like,
355
00:16:39,917 --> 00:16:43,462
to at least make
make me not gay or...
356
00:16:44,296 --> 00:16:46,590
- Oh yeah, of course, I prayed that.
In the beginning.
357
00:16:46,590 --> 00:16:48,467
I told you I cried for 72 hours straight.
[Mario laughs]
358
00:16:49,343 --> 00:16:51,595
It was a disappointment, but with love.
359
00:16:52,846 --> 00:16:54,848
And there was just love.
360
00:16:54,848 --> 00:16:56,892
♪
361
00:16:56,892 --> 00:16:59,561
MONTE:
The first five years of our marriage,
362
00:16:59,561 --> 00:17:02,397
no one really knew other than
like our really close people.
363
00:17:03,148 --> 00:17:06,276
We weren't able to truly show
how in love we were
364
00:17:06,276 --> 00:17:07,569
and how happy we were
365
00:17:08,028 --> 00:17:10,614
because, at the time,
we're still hiding from the church.
366
00:17:11,823 --> 00:17:14,826
♪ singing gospel music ♪
367
00:17:14,826 --> 00:17:16,995
♪ drums, keyboard playing ♪
368
00:17:17,496 --> 00:17:19,706
MARIO: So the church found out
that we were dating.
369
00:17:20,290 --> 00:17:22,626
The pastor wanted to meet with me.
370
00:17:22,626 --> 00:17:24,294
Monte's name came up, and then he said,
371
00:17:24,294 --> 00:17:26,088
"Well, what's your guys' relationship?"
372
00:17:26,088 --> 00:17:27,798
And I said, "Well, we're married."
373
00:17:29,258 --> 00:17:30,717
And he says, "Well, right now,
374
00:17:30,717 --> 00:17:33,345
"you're gonna be relieved
from all administerial duties, and...
375
00:17:34,972 --> 00:17:36,932
"we'll figure out what,
what to do from here.
376
00:17:36,932 --> 00:17:39,434
But right now, we just need to stop."
377
00:17:39,434 --> 00:17:42,688
He said, "I don't want a divorce.
I want an annulment."
378
00:17:43,814 --> 00:17:46,650
MONTE:
I was kicked out of a church before
379
00:17:46,650 --> 00:17:48,610
for being known as gay.
380
00:17:48,610 --> 00:17:52,281
And I just remember the flashbacks
of this happened before.
381
00:17:53,699 --> 00:17:55,993
MARIO:
What am I doing wrong? Why--
382
00:17:55,993 --> 00:17:58,495
Why is this being taken away from me?
And...
383
00:18:00,539 --> 00:18:03,959
at the same time,
I still wanted things to go forward.
384
00:18:03,959 --> 00:18:06,170
[band chatter]
385
00:18:06,170 --> 00:18:10,132
♪ trumpet warming up ♪
386
00:18:10,132 --> 00:18:11,633
Where your cymbals at?
387
00:18:12,217 --> 00:18:13,594
- You wanna put this on?
388
00:18:13,594 --> 00:18:15,721
[laughs, indistinct]
389
00:18:16,805 --> 00:18:19,558
MARIO: After we decided
not to get the annulment,
390
00:18:19,558 --> 00:18:23,520
found the opportunity
to go into the Air Force.
391
00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:25,981
- My professor was a retired chief
392
00:18:25,981 --> 00:18:27,733
of the Air Force Band.
- Right.
393
00:18:28,192 --> 00:18:30,444
- And my thought was ching!
Here we go.
394
00:18:30,444 --> 00:18:33,947
♪ upbeat music playing ♪
395
00:18:33,947 --> 00:18:36,450
♪ Of joy and gladness ♪
396
00:18:36,450 --> 00:18:39,578
♪ Will always banish sadness ♪
397
00:18:39,578 --> 00:18:41,538
♪ And strife ♪
398
00:18:41,538 --> 00:18:43,916
MARIO:
That's where my connection with God
399
00:18:43,916 --> 00:18:46,084
really gets connected from is music,
400
00:18:46,084 --> 00:18:47,711
is worship,
401
00:18:47,711 --> 00:18:49,880
and being in an environment
where there's a lot of people doing
402
00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:51,465
the same thing, same type of mindset.
403
00:18:51,465 --> 00:18:53,842
♪ So, always look for ♪
404
00:18:53,842 --> 00:18:57,095
♪ That silver lining and try to find ♪
405
00:18:57,095 --> 00:18:59,431
♪ The sunny side of ♪
406
00:18:59,431 --> 00:19:02,559
♪ Life... ♪
407
00:19:02,559 --> 00:19:05,729
♪ upbeat music fades ♪
408
00:19:05,729 --> 00:19:09,650
MONTE: When he told me that we're gonna be
stationed in Nebraska, I was pissed.
409
00:19:09,650 --> 00:19:11,693
♪
410
00:19:11,693 --> 00:19:15,030
We just come from a liberal state,
Colorado,
411
00:19:15,030 --> 00:19:16,740
to this? Like, no.
412
00:19:16,740 --> 00:19:19,409
Long time no see!
Good to see you, sir!
413
00:19:19,409 --> 00:19:22,120
But, in this community,
414
00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:24,623
we have overall been very accepted.
415
00:19:24,623 --> 00:19:26,667
[indistinct chatter]
416
00:19:27,292 --> 00:19:29,086
HEATHER:
I just didn't think anything of it.
417
00:19:29,086 --> 00:19:30,587
I was just like, oh,
there are two guys over there.
418
00:19:30,587 --> 00:19:31,421
And I was like, okay.
419
00:19:31,421 --> 00:19:33,131
And I was like,
well, maybe they're roommates.
420
00:19:33,131 --> 00:19:35,092
I mean, I didn't know, you know?
421
00:19:35,092 --> 00:19:37,803
And I was like, or they could be together.
Okay, whatever.
422
00:19:37,803 --> 00:19:39,012
[indistinct chatter]
423
00:19:39,012 --> 00:19:41,765
MARIO:
Our neighbors, they're great people.
424
00:19:41,765 --> 00:19:42,808
MONTE:
We've never asked them,
425
00:19:43,892 --> 00:19:47,396
I guess, why they've taken
such a liking to us,
426
00:19:47,396 --> 00:19:48,814
which is so polar opposite
427
00:19:48,814 --> 00:19:51,859
of what we believe that they support.
428
00:19:51,859 --> 00:19:55,904
When we know a person that votes
for Trump, it's like, well,
429
00:19:55,904 --> 00:19:58,073
he stands against everything that we are.
- Anti-LGBT, yeah. [laughs]
430
00:19:59,241 --> 00:20:02,995
MONTE:
We're so polar opposite,
but it is what it is.
431
00:20:02,995 --> 00:20:04,872
I mean, we trust them enough
432
00:20:04,872 --> 00:20:07,583
to watch our house,
and they trust us to watch their house,
433
00:20:07,583 --> 00:20:10,335
and Mario gives their kid piano lessons,
434
00:20:10,335 --> 00:20:12,379
and I-I don't know how to explain it.
435
00:20:12,379 --> 00:20:15,632
♪ playing piano ♪
436
00:20:15,632 --> 00:20:17,968
- Okay, almost.
We're gonna hit the first chord twice.
437
00:20:17,968 --> 00:20:19,511
- Oh, right.
- Yeah, you got it. Ready?
438
00:20:19,511 --> 00:20:23,056
One, two, three, and...
[snapping fingers]
439
00:20:23,056 --> 00:20:26,393
♪ playing piano ♪
440
00:20:26,393 --> 00:20:28,729
Okay! Dun-dun, down.
441
00:20:28,729 --> 00:20:30,105
KORY:
We're not in their position.
442
00:20:30,105 --> 00:20:31,523
I can't put myself in their shoes,
443
00:20:31,523 --> 00:20:33,525
but all I can do is, you know,
444
00:20:33,525 --> 00:20:36,278
love on them the way they love on us,
and they're great neighbors.
445
00:20:36,278 --> 00:20:39,281
♪ playing piano ♪
446
00:20:43,660 --> 00:20:45,162
[inaudible]
447
00:20:45,162 --> 00:20:48,916
MARIO:
I just keep rolling with my life.
448
00:20:48,916 --> 00:20:52,377
[laughs] You know,
the church thing, keep rolling.
449
00:20:52,377 --> 00:20:55,088
Air Force thing came up, keep rolling.
450
00:20:55,088 --> 00:20:57,799
♪
451
00:20:57,799 --> 00:20:59,968
I'm still waiting for,
452
00:20:59,968 --> 00:21:01,720
you know, something.
Something's gonna happen.
453
00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:03,805
I don't know when or what's gonna happen.
454
00:21:03,805 --> 00:21:05,516
- Like is it too good to be true?
- Right.
455
00:21:13,941 --> 00:21:17,152
♪
456
00:21:17,152 --> 00:21:19,947
[inaudible]
457
00:21:19,947 --> 00:21:22,407
COURTNEY:
We have always wanted to have land,
458
00:21:22,407 --> 00:21:26,161
and we wanted to be closer to our food.
459
00:21:26,161 --> 00:21:27,412
DENISE:
And we wanted goats.
460
00:21:27,412 --> 00:21:29,665
[goats bleating]
461
00:21:29,665 --> 00:21:33,460
MAREK: It's such a weird combination
that a lot of people don't think of.
462
00:21:33,460 --> 00:21:36,880
Farming, and then ranching goats,
and then also being
463
00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:38,382
a same-sex couple.
464
00:21:39,925 --> 00:21:42,636
DENISE: We get a lot
of backhanded compliments.
465
00:21:42,636 --> 00:21:44,221
[laughs]
- So I guess living in the Midwest,
466
00:21:44,221 --> 00:21:47,391
a backhanded compliment at times is like,
well...
467
00:21:47,391 --> 00:21:49,643
we're doing our job.
[Denise laughs]
468
00:21:49,643 --> 00:21:51,228
We're integrating.
469
00:21:51,228 --> 00:21:54,731
[rooster crowing]
[goats bleating]
470
00:21:58,318 --> 00:22:02,531
Midwesterners have a way of living
471
00:22:02,531 --> 00:22:06,368
that is like having a horse
with blinders on.
472
00:22:06,368 --> 00:22:10,038
- I can't tell you the number of people
that I have met
473
00:22:10,038 --> 00:22:13,625
that they have never left
474
00:22:13,625 --> 00:22:15,752
the town they grew up in.
475
00:22:15,752 --> 00:22:18,714
Marek was born in Kansas.
476
00:22:19,464 --> 00:22:23,051
And he was still seen as an outsider
because we didn't own the house
477
00:22:23,051 --> 00:22:26,221
that we lived in for three generations.
478
00:22:26,221 --> 00:22:29,099
♪
479
00:22:29,099 --> 00:22:31,018
[goats bleating]
480
00:22:31,018 --> 00:22:32,811
Kinda like a ballet.
481
00:22:36,648 --> 00:22:38,442
You know, I lived in New York,
482
00:22:38,442 --> 00:22:40,068
I've lived in Portland, Oregon,
483
00:22:40,068 --> 00:22:42,362
I've lived in Austin, Texas,
484
00:22:42,362 --> 00:22:46,158
and here, a lot of the...
485
00:22:46,158 --> 00:22:47,993
western women
486
00:22:48,619 --> 00:22:50,996
give a very, very...
487
00:22:50,996 --> 00:22:53,207
- Masculine vibe.
- Yes.
488
00:22:53,207 --> 00:22:55,292
That's an excellent way to put it.
Thank you.
489
00:22:56,418 --> 00:22:59,463
People just assume that I'm a horse girl.
490
00:22:59,463 --> 00:23:01,798
And then Courtney, you know, again,
491
00:23:01,798 --> 00:23:04,092
when Courtney just
dresses how Courtney does,
492
00:23:04,092 --> 00:23:06,595
people just glance over...
493
00:23:06,595 --> 00:23:09,640
[goats bleat]
...and think that she's my guy.
494
00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,893
So [laughs], we just let them
make their assumptions.
495
00:23:12,893 --> 00:23:14,228
- Yeah, it doesn't really matter.
496
00:23:14,228 --> 00:23:16,772
And it's been like that my whole life, so.
- Yeah.
497
00:23:16,772 --> 00:23:18,565
- I'm like, whatever.
[laughs]
498
00:23:18,565 --> 00:23:20,609
♪
499
00:23:20,609 --> 00:23:22,778
DENISE:
We met in Lawrence.
500
00:23:22,778 --> 00:23:25,197
Couple of dates,
and then we were living together.
501
00:23:25,197 --> 00:23:27,449
So, it was like first date,
the toothbrush,
502
00:23:27,449 --> 00:23:28,992
second date, the U-Haul.
503
00:23:29,785 --> 00:23:33,413
And then, we knew within the first year
504
00:23:33,413 --> 00:23:36,291
that we wanted
to move out of town to the country.
505
00:23:36,291 --> 00:23:39,294
♪
506
00:23:40,838 --> 00:23:43,465
[inaudible]
507
00:23:44,675 --> 00:23:46,385
MAREK: Whoa.
508
00:23:47,928 --> 00:23:50,722
DENISE: I always, always,
always wanted a baby.
509
00:23:50,722 --> 00:23:53,767
[laughs]
When I was little, I wanted a baby.
510
00:23:53,767 --> 00:23:55,936
As I got older, I wanted a baby.
511
00:23:55,936 --> 00:23:58,021
- I was like, let's see where it goes.
[laughs]
512
00:23:58,021 --> 00:24:00,274
- I was like, okay, I'm in.
513
00:24:01,817 --> 00:24:04,111
Marek is kind
514
00:24:04,778 --> 00:24:07,906
and giving and empathetic
515
00:24:08,532 --> 00:24:10,909
and he helps center us.
516
00:24:10,909 --> 00:24:14,538
♪
517
00:24:14,538 --> 00:24:17,165
[quiet chatter]
[hits cue ball]
518
00:24:17,749 --> 00:24:21,712
COURTNEY:
He is so attune
519
00:24:21,712 --> 00:24:24,214
to the environment around him.
520
00:24:24,214 --> 00:24:26,717
He's really gregarious
and can plug himself in.
521
00:24:26,717 --> 00:24:29,303
And, like you said,
he's a grounding force.
522
00:24:31,221 --> 00:24:33,432
We put him in the art center preschool
in Lawrence,
523
00:24:33,432 --> 00:24:35,601
and that was wonderful.
- It was amazing.
524
00:24:35,601 --> 00:24:38,020
- It was a great program.
And so we continued on
525
00:24:38,020 --> 00:24:40,772
with a public schooling mentality
526
00:24:40,772 --> 00:24:43,775
and put him into kindergarten.
527
00:24:43,775 --> 00:24:46,945
MAREK:
When I went to public school,
it was pretty bad.
528
00:24:46,945 --> 00:24:49,114
Turns out people in a trailer park
in the Midwest
529
00:24:49,114 --> 00:24:51,533
don't really like lesbians too much.
530
00:24:51,533 --> 00:24:53,285
At least their parents don't.
531
00:24:53,285 --> 00:24:56,872
And so, I was called a lot of names,
532
00:24:56,872 --> 00:24:58,832
some pretty aggressive bullying.
533
00:24:59,666 --> 00:25:01,752
- He would come home and talk about things
534
00:25:01,752 --> 00:25:03,670
that kids would say to him
535
00:25:03,670 --> 00:25:06,924
or interactions
he would have on the playground,
536
00:25:06,924 --> 00:25:09,009
and they weren't positive.
537
00:25:09,009 --> 00:25:11,512
And we approached the school
538
00:25:11,512 --> 00:25:13,764
about what happened,
539
00:25:13,764 --> 00:25:16,600
and they basically said,
540
00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,686
"Well, what do you expect?
It's just gonna get worse."
541
00:25:20,604 --> 00:25:23,065
DENISE: Like, I can still
remember a dinner conversation
542
00:25:23,065 --> 00:25:25,484
that we had while he was in public school.
543
00:25:25,484 --> 00:25:27,528
It was before gay marriage was legal,
544
00:25:27,528 --> 00:25:31,406
and we were talking about gay marriage,
545
00:25:31,406 --> 00:25:35,369
and our son actually said,
546
00:25:35,369 --> 00:25:37,329
"I don't think it's right.
547
00:25:37,329 --> 00:25:39,748
♪
548
00:25:39,748 --> 00:25:41,875
Because it's against the law."
549
00:25:41,875 --> 00:25:45,420
- And that was
him being influenced directly by
550
00:25:46,046 --> 00:25:49,967
the people in the community
551
00:25:49,967 --> 00:25:52,302
because, obviously, it wasn't us!
552
00:25:52,302 --> 00:25:54,888
It sparked a conversation of
553
00:25:54,888 --> 00:25:58,433
sometimes, laws are not made
554
00:25:58,433 --> 00:26:02,312
by people that have the most... diverse...
555
00:26:03,438 --> 00:26:04,857
point of view.
556
00:26:06,692 --> 00:26:10,320
We took him out of school and put him in
557
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,574
a virtual learning environment,
where he was able
558
00:26:13,574 --> 00:26:16,618
to make his own schedule and...
559
00:26:17,786 --> 00:26:19,246
explore his own interests.
560
00:26:20,455 --> 00:26:22,916
MAREK: When my parents
took me out of public school,
561
00:26:22,916 --> 00:26:25,419
the principal said,
562
00:26:25,419 --> 00:26:27,546
"Oh, you'll be back."
563
00:26:27,546 --> 00:26:30,174
I was not back. So,
564
00:26:30,174 --> 00:26:33,051
that was, at least,
a little bit of vindication
565
00:26:33,051 --> 00:26:36,597
that I proved someone wrong
at least once in my life.
566
00:26:37,723 --> 00:26:40,809
COURTNEY:
He became free
567
00:26:40,809 --> 00:26:43,103
to be who he wants to be
568
00:26:43,103 --> 00:26:45,480
without fear of repercussions.
569
00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:46,857
♪
570
00:26:46,857 --> 00:26:48,817
MAREK: A theater kid might,
to some people,
571
00:26:48,817 --> 00:26:50,527
have negative connotations,
572
00:26:50,527 --> 00:26:52,863
but just doing theater
and being in that sphere
573
00:26:52,863 --> 00:26:54,656
and not being annoying about it
574
00:26:54,656 --> 00:26:58,202
and not forcing it on other people
is great.
575
00:26:58,202 --> 00:27:01,413
Like, you clearly have a passion
and a drive to do it,
576
00:27:01,413 --> 00:27:03,665
and you feel
577
00:27:03,665 --> 00:27:06,460
like that's what you
wanna do with your life,
578
00:27:06,460 --> 00:27:07,753
which is what I wanna do with my life.
579
00:27:09,296 --> 00:27:11,798
Basically, these Tow here...
- Okay.
580
00:27:11,798 --> 00:27:13,884
- They're getting ambushed
by the Imperium of Man.
581
00:27:15,010 --> 00:27:15,761
I'm--
582
00:27:15,761 --> 00:27:17,429
- Are we playing D&D
with Warhammer minions?
583
00:27:17,429 --> 00:27:20,849
- Sure, you could say that, so...
[laughs]
584
00:27:20,849 --> 00:27:23,644
Yeah, you're gonna have a great time,
I'm sure.
585
00:27:24,394 --> 00:27:27,189
I feel like if I didn't
have lesbian parents,
586
00:27:27,189 --> 00:27:29,942
I would probably be
a little bit more close-minded.
587
00:27:29,942 --> 00:27:31,527
I would definitely not be
588
00:27:31,527 --> 00:27:34,446
as open about myself.
589
00:27:36,490 --> 00:27:39,826
I'm bisexual, so I like both genders.
[birds chirping]
590
00:27:39,826 --> 00:27:43,205
I just look like a guy in the Midwest
591
00:27:43,205 --> 00:27:46,291
where outer appearance is a lot.
592
00:27:46,291 --> 00:27:49,586
It's really easy to just not
say anything and have people
593
00:27:49,586 --> 00:27:51,547
make assumptions,
and whether those be good
594
00:27:51,547 --> 00:27:53,173
or bad assumptions is up to them.
595
00:27:55,384 --> 00:27:57,511
[rumbling]
596
00:27:57,511 --> 00:27:59,888
I certainly share some Midwestern values.
597
00:27:59,888 --> 00:28:02,516
I feel like I'm polite and I'm kind
598
00:28:02,516 --> 00:28:04,643
and I'm here to help.
599
00:28:04,643 --> 00:28:08,188
But, I also feel like...
600
00:28:09,314 --> 00:28:13,277
being accepting and being
a general good person
601
00:28:13,277 --> 00:28:16,446
is a lot better than just
pretending to be.
602
00:28:16,446 --> 00:28:19,700
♪
603
00:28:19,700 --> 00:28:23,245
COURTNEY: The Midwestern culture
has an overall resistance
604
00:28:23,245 --> 00:28:27,207
to change and altering the mentality
605
00:28:27,207 --> 00:28:29,960
of what defines
606
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:31,712
a nuclear family.
607
00:28:34,339 --> 00:28:36,341
We are just people living in a community.
608
00:28:37,885 --> 00:28:40,971
And if we're good people,
we're good people.
609
00:28:40,971 --> 00:28:44,683
Okay? Because you take a fall gracefully.
610
00:28:44,683 --> 00:28:48,645
And there's nothing
different about who we are.
611
00:28:48,645 --> 00:28:51,857
I mean, we're just two parents
612
00:28:51,857 --> 00:28:55,736
and a child growing up in the Midwest.
- Mm-hmm.
613
00:28:55,736 --> 00:28:58,488
[Denise laughing]
614
00:28:58,488 --> 00:29:01,950
DENISE: Wait. Fore! [laughs]
COURTNEY: Alright...
615
00:29:08,582 --> 00:29:11,335
♪
616
00:29:14,588 --> 00:29:17,925
RUSS: First of all, thank you guys for
being part of this and joining us today.
617
00:29:17,925 --> 00:29:21,720
What we'd like to do is just
kind of get to understand what our--
618
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,389
what this safe organization is.
619
00:29:24,389 --> 00:29:25,641
♪
620
00:29:25,641 --> 00:29:27,893
ANDREW:
He commands respect in his classroom.
621
00:29:27,893 --> 00:29:29,061
He's been teaching for,
622
00:29:29,061 --> 00:29:30,896
[laughs] I don't even know,
623
00:29:30,896 --> 00:29:32,856
but far longer than I've been alive,
624
00:29:32,856 --> 00:29:35,108
and everybody knows who he is,
625
00:29:35,108 --> 00:29:37,611
and they respect him for what he is.
626
00:29:37,611 --> 00:29:40,405
- Russ was my choir teacher
627
00:29:40,405 --> 00:29:42,115
for all four years of high school.
628
00:29:42,115 --> 00:29:45,202
He was never shy about who he was
629
00:29:45,202 --> 00:29:47,454
and really helped me
figure out who I was.
630
00:29:47,454 --> 00:29:49,665
He was the first person in Oak Harbor
631
00:29:49,665 --> 00:29:52,251
who I told about my sexuality
632
00:29:52,251 --> 00:29:55,128
just because he made
his classroom a safe space.
633
00:29:57,089 --> 00:29:58,841
RUSS:
As an educator for 26 years,
634
00:29:58,841 --> 00:30:02,386
I had students coming to
my office all the time, saying,
635
00:30:02,386 --> 00:30:04,346
"Mr. Raber, can I talk to you?
Can I talk to you?"
636
00:30:04,346 --> 00:30:07,015
And so, I think sometimes,
just by being visible--
637
00:30:07,015 --> 00:30:09,434
I mean, clearly,
my students knew my husband.
638
00:30:09,434 --> 00:30:12,563
- Yeah.
- He was visible at school events,
639
00:30:12,563 --> 00:30:15,107
and I think just having that
representation for them
640
00:30:15,107 --> 00:30:16,608
was, was very helpful.
641
00:30:17,734 --> 00:30:21,071
MARK:
I came out in 1995, so I have seen it go
642
00:30:21,071 --> 00:30:24,032
from just the very beginning,
643
00:30:24,032 --> 00:30:27,911
to, I mean, where marriage was legal
in the state of Ohio.
644
00:30:27,911 --> 00:30:30,080
In 2012, when we got married,
645
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,166
we had to get married in New York state
because we couldn't get married here yet.
646
00:30:33,166 --> 00:30:34,877
But, it has changed so much.
647
00:30:34,877 --> 00:30:37,045
Then all of a sudden, 2016 came,
648
00:30:37,045 --> 00:30:39,882
and it's almost like we went backwards.
- Mm-hmm.
649
00:30:39,882 --> 00:30:41,925
♪
650
00:30:41,925 --> 00:30:44,052
VIN: The students
and their homophobia and hate.
651
00:30:45,387 --> 00:30:48,140
This one kid believes
652
00:30:48,140 --> 00:30:50,100
that non-binary people do not exist.
653
00:30:50,100 --> 00:30:52,436
It's only two, the gender binary.
654
00:30:52,436 --> 00:30:54,479
I mean, I'm here right now,
655
00:30:54,479 --> 00:30:57,024
[laughs] so we do kinda exist.
656
00:30:59,276 --> 00:31:01,862
RUSS: I very much
believe that the bullying
657
00:31:01,862 --> 00:31:03,739
has sort of reemerged
658
00:31:03,739 --> 00:31:07,159
as a hot topic for
LGBTQ+ students.
659
00:31:07,159 --> 00:31:09,286
I think it's more subversive.
660
00:31:10,621 --> 00:31:13,040
It's now 2022,
661
00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,627
and I feel like Oak Harbor,
as a, as a collective unit,
662
00:31:16,627 --> 00:31:20,422
is just sort of coming into the 1998
frame of mind.
663
00:31:20,422 --> 00:31:22,925
Trying to combat that
664
00:31:22,925 --> 00:31:24,927
generational mindset
665
00:31:24,927 --> 00:31:28,013
is difficult because
change is difficult for people.
666
00:31:28,013 --> 00:31:31,808
But, when kids' lives, you know,
are on the table,
667
00:31:31,808 --> 00:31:32,851
you have to make the change.
668
00:31:35,312 --> 00:31:38,690
I came out at a later age,
and my family was amazing.
669
00:31:38,690 --> 00:31:41,318
And I, I give them credit.
670
00:31:42,361 --> 00:31:45,531
I like to say my father is not
necessarily an educated man,
671
00:31:45,531 --> 00:31:48,784
but he's truly one of the wisest
people I know. He truly is.
672
00:31:48,784 --> 00:31:52,287
And he has embraced Mark like a son.
MARK: Oh yeah.
673
00:31:53,330 --> 00:31:55,791
My coming out was different.
674
00:31:55,791 --> 00:31:58,126
I threw myself into college,
675
00:31:58,126 --> 00:32:01,922
and I came out in college in Kent, Ohio,
676
00:32:01,922 --> 00:32:03,423
and kind of resigned myself
677
00:32:03,423 --> 00:32:05,801
that this was the decision
I was gonna make,
678
00:32:05,801 --> 00:32:09,221
but I knew my family of Greek descent
679
00:32:09,221 --> 00:32:11,765
was not probably gonna do well with it.
680
00:32:11,765 --> 00:32:14,601
Now, am I angry with my parents?
No. No, no, no.
681
00:32:14,601 --> 00:32:18,230
They have become amazing,
amazing advocates for me,
682
00:32:18,230 --> 00:32:21,441
and I never had to worry
about them abandoning me.
683
00:32:21,441 --> 00:32:23,610
That is an amazing feeling.
684
00:32:23,610 --> 00:32:27,072
Now, I'm horrified for people
that don't have that.
685
00:32:27,072 --> 00:32:30,075
♪ playing accordion ♪
686
00:32:34,496 --> 00:32:38,458
ANDREW: I probably say that I realized
I was bisexual a few years ago.
687
00:32:39,543 --> 00:32:43,130
At first, I didn't really
feel comfortable telling anybody and...
688
00:32:44,173 --> 00:32:46,466
and then, when I did feel comfortable
telling, it was mainly
689
00:32:46,466 --> 00:32:49,928
just my friends.
And then just recently, I told her.
690
00:32:49,928 --> 00:32:52,097
♪ playing accordion ♪
691
00:32:52,097 --> 00:32:54,057
APRIL:
I'm kind of, you know,
692
00:32:54,057 --> 00:32:55,934
trying to play it by ear.
693
00:32:55,934 --> 00:32:59,438
My big thing was when he told me,
he was gonna let it up to me
694
00:32:59,438 --> 00:33:01,106
and to use my judgment.
695
00:33:01,106 --> 00:33:03,817
It was a big struggle for me
only because
696
00:33:03,817 --> 00:33:06,195
there are a few people in our family that
697
00:33:07,487 --> 00:33:09,698
their reactions could go either way.
698
00:33:09,698 --> 00:33:13,035
And I'm leery of subjecting him
699
00:33:13,035 --> 00:33:16,955
to any kind of undue criticism
700
00:33:16,955 --> 00:33:18,457
from a family member.
701
00:33:18,457 --> 00:33:21,460
♪ playing accordion ♪
702
00:33:27,299 --> 00:33:31,261
VIN: My name Vin comes
from a little bit of a story.
703
00:33:32,429 --> 00:33:35,432
Around 2020, early 2021,
704
00:33:35,432 --> 00:33:37,017
I thought I was trans.
705
00:33:38,018 --> 00:33:41,313
And so,
I wanted to go with something
706
00:33:41,313 --> 00:33:44,942
along the lines of my legal name, Marin.
707
00:33:44,942 --> 00:33:47,402
So, I went with the name Marvin.
708
00:33:48,445 --> 00:33:50,781
And so, I started thinking a bit more.
I was like,
709
00:33:50,781 --> 00:33:53,659
yeah, I don't really feel like a man.
710
00:33:54,910 --> 00:33:57,496
Let's chop off that Mar
and just stick with Vin.
711
00:33:57,496 --> 00:33:59,331
And now, a friend calls me Vinny.
712
00:33:59,331 --> 00:34:01,083
♪
713
00:34:01,083 --> 00:34:03,168
SARAH:
The changing of her name
714
00:34:03,168 --> 00:34:05,170
was very tough. Um...
715
00:34:08,131 --> 00:34:10,467
It almost felt like she was...
716
00:34:11,009 --> 00:34:14,221
throwing things away.
Oh, my God, I'm sorry. [sniffles]
717
00:34:14,930 --> 00:34:15,931
[gasps]
718
00:34:18,225 --> 00:34:19,601
And it just felt like
719
00:34:19,601 --> 00:34:22,855
maybe I did something to
make her wanna change.
720
00:34:24,106 --> 00:34:25,899
But I didn't.
721
00:34:25,899 --> 00:34:27,359
- I was the one who did that.
722
00:34:27,359 --> 00:34:30,904
- And now I feel, excuse me, much better
723
00:34:30,904 --> 00:34:33,740
about it, that they're not throwing
724
00:34:33,740 --> 00:34:35,951
their childhood away.
725
00:34:35,951 --> 00:34:37,286
That it wasn't that.
726
00:34:37,286 --> 00:34:39,830
No, it's just different.
727
00:34:39,830 --> 00:34:42,124
And it's hard for me
to understand sometimes
728
00:34:42,124 --> 00:34:45,419
because I don't understand.
729
00:34:45,419 --> 00:34:47,171
But I want to.
730
00:34:48,255 --> 00:34:51,258
VIN: What I have
done in Safe, personally,
731
00:34:51,258 --> 00:34:54,386
is feel more confident in myself.
Like I can...
732
00:34:54,386 --> 00:34:57,055
Like I meet a new person.
"Hi, my name is Vin."
733
00:34:57,055 --> 00:34:59,725
RUSS:
Students advocating for equality,
734
00:34:59,725 --> 00:35:02,144
LGBTQ students, racial minorities,
735
00:35:02,144 --> 00:35:04,104
disability minorities, you name it.
736
00:35:04,104 --> 00:35:06,523
- Even people who are in the community...
737
00:35:06,523 --> 00:35:09,610
RUSS:
But they have grown and really helped
738
00:35:09,610 --> 00:35:11,612
to support students
739
00:35:11,612 --> 00:35:13,697
in that community
and surrounding communities.
740
00:35:13,697 --> 00:35:16,033
And I just can't speak enough about it.
It's amazing.
741
00:35:16,033 --> 00:35:18,452
ANDREW:
We're making people aware of us.
742
00:35:18,452 --> 00:35:20,329
We're also making it apparent
743
00:35:20,329 --> 00:35:23,624
that like there is a group
where you can come to
744
00:35:23,624 --> 00:35:26,418
if you wanna come out,
or if you don't feel safe,
745
00:35:26,418 --> 00:35:28,587
there is a group you can come to
and talk about it
746
00:35:28,587 --> 00:35:30,339
and join us, stuff like that.
747
00:35:30,339 --> 00:35:32,466
You're not alone
because we have this group
748
00:35:32,466 --> 00:35:33,926
here Oak, like in Oak Harbor.
749
00:35:33,926 --> 00:35:35,552
♪
750
00:35:35,552 --> 00:35:37,846
RUSS:
I look back on past graduates
751
00:35:37,846 --> 00:35:40,682
who you would see them struggle,
752
00:35:40,682 --> 00:35:44,436
kinda come to their identity,
and then once they've graduated,
753
00:35:44,436 --> 00:35:47,189
your, your relationship with them changes.
754
00:35:47,189 --> 00:35:50,192
Just having that representation for them
755
00:35:50,192 --> 00:35:51,944
was very helpful,
756
00:35:51,944 --> 00:35:54,738
and I kinda heard some of those stories
757
00:35:54,738 --> 00:35:56,573
after they graduated.
758
00:36:01,495 --> 00:36:02,663
TAYLOR:
I do love this community,
759
00:36:02,663 --> 00:36:05,040
but I wanted to expand
my horizons a little bit.
760
00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:08,418
I wanted to kind of explore
new things, new cities.
761
00:36:08,418 --> 00:36:11,672
So I did tell myself that I wasn't going
to permanently come back here,
762
00:36:11,672 --> 00:36:13,757
but I ended up coming back.
763
00:36:13,757 --> 00:36:16,760
I am a third grade
special education teacher.
764
00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:18,011
♪
765
00:36:18,011 --> 00:36:20,639
The parents don't know my sexuality,
766
00:36:20,639 --> 00:36:23,559
and because of that small-town stigma,
767
00:36:23,559 --> 00:36:26,270
I never know what parents
might think about that.
768
00:36:26,270 --> 00:36:28,981
Maybe they might think
less of me as a teacher,
769
00:36:28,981 --> 00:36:32,568
that I'm not as equipped to be a teacher.
770
00:36:33,318 --> 00:36:34,695
I'd come to realize that,
771
00:36:34,695 --> 00:36:36,238
no, I want to do this
772
00:36:36,238 --> 00:36:38,699
because I want people to understand
773
00:36:38,699 --> 00:36:39,908
that we are teachers,
774
00:36:39,908 --> 00:36:41,910
we are doctors, and food service workers,
775
00:36:41,910 --> 00:36:43,745
and we're your everyday people,
776
00:36:43,745 --> 00:36:46,290
and we are good people just like you.
777
00:36:47,291 --> 00:36:48,292
[laughter]
778
00:36:48,292 --> 00:36:50,711
- Can't believe that's what actually
brought us back together as friends.
779
00:36:50,711 --> 00:36:52,921
- I know! We were happen
to run into each other
780
00:36:52,921 --> 00:36:54,756
after how long of not talking.
781
00:36:54,756 --> 00:36:56,341
We kind of lost touch for a while.
782
00:36:56,341 --> 00:36:57,801
- Over a little bit over the summer.
783
00:36:57,801 --> 00:37:00,762
TAYLOR: Greg has been
my best friend since sixth grade.
784
00:37:00,762 --> 00:37:03,390
Our freshman year of college,
we were out to lunch.
785
00:37:03,390 --> 00:37:05,767
It had been a while since
we had talked to each other.
786
00:37:05,767 --> 00:37:08,061
And then, I was like,
"What about your love life?
787
00:37:08,061 --> 00:37:09,813
Do you have anybody in your life?"
788
00:37:09,813 --> 00:37:11,857
And he said, "Actually, yes I do."
789
00:37:11,857 --> 00:37:13,400
"Oh, okay, what's her name?"
790
00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:17,237
And he said, "Actually, his name is..."
And that's when--
791
00:37:17,237 --> 00:37:19,156
That's how he came out to me.
792
00:37:19,156 --> 00:37:21,742
- She was one of the first girls
I started-- ever dated.
793
00:37:21,742 --> 00:37:25,329
She was my first kiss
before I even knew who I was.
794
00:37:25,329 --> 00:37:27,831
- I think it definitely
brought us closer. It gave us...
795
00:37:27,831 --> 00:37:31,585
GREG: My dad has not been in my life
for about three years now.
796
00:37:31,585 --> 00:37:33,212
As soon as I came out,
797
00:37:33,212 --> 00:37:37,174
he kind of started distancing
and cutting himself off,
798
00:37:37,174 --> 00:37:41,136
until eventually to the point where
we just kind of went our separate ways.
799
00:37:43,263 --> 00:37:45,224
- Do you remember how that happened?
How that conversation went down?
800
00:37:45,224 --> 00:37:47,100
- I absolutely have no idea.
[Taylor laughs]
801
00:37:47,100 --> 00:37:49,895
We're all gonna find the people
who don't support us
802
00:37:49,895 --> 00:37:52,481
and don't accept us as who we are,
803
00:37:52,481 --> 00:37:55,400
but there's going to be
your biggest cheerleader in your corner.
804
00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:56,985
You just have
to figure out who that is,
805
00:37:56,985 --> 00:37:59,404
whether it's your mom,
your dad, your best friend.
806
00:37:59,404 --> 00:38:01,698
- Did we ever even break up?
Are we still dating
and I didn't know it?
807
00:38:01,698 --> 00:38:04,284
- Absolutely not. [laughs]
[laughs]
808
00:38:04,284 --> 00:38:07,788
[birds chirping]
[quiet street noise]
809
00:38:08,956 --> 00:38:11,750
RUSS:
I am currently creating centerpieces
810
00:38:11,750 --> 00:38:13,418
for our queer prom coming up soon.
811
00:38:13,418 --> 00:38:17,339
So, we have a local...
812
00:38:17,339 --> 00:38:18,966
party supply store in town
813
00:38:18,966 --> 00:38:21,927
who's doing a large rainbow balloon arch.
814
00:38:22,970 --> 00:38:25,848
Gay marriage did not solve everything.
MARK: No, it did not.
815
00:38:25,848 --> 00:38:27,808
- There is still incredible
amounts of homophobia,
816
00:38:27,808 --> 00:38:30,853
biphobia, transphobia,
every phobia under the sun.
817
00:38:30,853 --> 00:38:32,729
♪
818
00:38:32,729 --> 00:38:35,816
MARK: We need to work as
a country on communication.
819
00:38:35,816 --> 00:38:38,402
Not just in small towns. Everywhere.
820
00:38:38,402 --> 00:38:40,821
[inaudible]
821
00:38:41,321 --> 00:38:44,533
RUSS: For the last several years, we were
bombarded with these negative messages.
822
00:38:45,993 --> 00:38:47,786
On the backside of that messaging,
823
00:38:47,786 --> 00:38:49,955
it's so vital to have a safe space
824
00:38:49,955 --> 00:38:52,958
where kids have the opposite message.
825
00:38:52,958 --> 00:38:55,961
[inaudible]
826
00:39:02,718 --> 00:39:04,553
REP. HEATHER KEELER:
It's amazing to me,
827
00:39:04,553 --> 00:39:07,139
as a public elected official,
828
00:39:07,139 --> 00:39:10,434
the amount of threats I get
829
00:39:10,434 --> 00:39:13,312
just for serving in the capacity
of who I am.
830
00:39:13,312 --> 00:39:15,898
No, they're not mad at me
for the bills that I'm presenting.
831
00:39:15,898 --> 00:39:16,899
They're mad at me
832
00:39:16,899 --> 00:39:19,526
because I'm an indigenous queer woman
sitting at the table,
833
00:39:19,526 --> 00:39:22,613
and the death threats
that come with that
834
00:39:22,613 --> 00:39:26,283
show that people are still shook
that we're here.
835
00:39:26,283 --> 00:39:27,826
♪
836
00:39:27,826 --> 00:39:28,869
Okay.
837
00:39:28,869 --> 00:39:31,079
Wait, did you ever get a meeting?
838
00:39:31,079 --> 00:39:32,456
- No. Did you?
839
00:39:32,456 --> 00:39:34,875
- No, with Logan's Laws.
Let's follow up on Logan's Laws...
840
00:39:34,875 --> 00:39:38,754
We're seeing a shift in who
our political leaders are
841
00:39:38,754 --> 00:39:41,298
in Minnesota,
but I think also across the nation,
842
00:39:41,298 --> 00:39:43,926
is that we're coming in
as grassroots organizers.
843
00:39:43,926 --> 00:39:46,887
We're coming in as individuals
who haven't seen ourselves
844
00:39:46,887 --> 00:39:48,305
represented in this space.
845
00:39:48,305 --> 00:39:51,433
And so the fact that it's three freshmen
846
00:39:51,433 --> 00:39:54,478
leading this LGBTQ conversation,
847
00:39:54,478 --> 00:39:56,522
um, is really fun.
848
00:39:56,522 --> 00:39:59,525
[assembly chatter]
849
00:40:04,238 --> 00:40:06,114
I'm not in this work for politics.
850
00:40:06,114 --> 00:40:08,659
I'm in this work for people,
851
00:40:08,659 --> 00:40:11,328
and I was sick of seeing this world
852
00:40:11,328 --> 00:40:13,664
be so harmful to people like me.
853
00:40:13,664 --> 00:40:15,707
And I didn't wanna just be a mom
854
00:40:15,707 --> 00:40:17,376
that vented on social media.
855
00:40:17,376 --> 00:40:21,088
I wanted to be a mom that
could look my kids in the eyes and say
856
00:40:21,088 --> 00:40:24,716
I actively did everything I could
to make this world a better place for you.
857
00:40:24,716 --> 00:40:26,176
[indistinct chatter]
858
00:40:26,176 --> 00:40:28,095
And so, I wanted to figure out
how to get at bigger tables
859
00:40:28,095 --> 00:40:31,807
and I figured out in this world,
it's all about degrees.
860
00:40:31,807 --> 00:40:35,769
So went on,
got my master's in educational leadership.
861
00:40:35,769 --> 00:40:38,021
Professionally, I went from
sitting in living rooms,
862
00:40:38,021 --> 00:40:40,858
talking to my families,
building really nice relationships
863
00:40:40,858 --> 00:40:43,944
to then taking all of those tools
and that pain that I heard
864
00:40:43,944 --> 00:40:45,779
and turning it into policy and purpose.
865
00:40:45,779 --> 00:40:48,907
[indistinct prayer]
866
00:40:48,907 --> 00:40:52,786
Marriage equality did a lot for us.
867
00:40:52,786 --> 00:40:55,330
I think though now we're missing
868
00:40:55,330 --> 00:40:58,625
the acceptance of the family structure.
869
00:40:58,625 --> 00:41:01,378
What our legal rights are with families.
870
00:41:02,838 --> 00:41:05,507
You know I think we have a long ways to go
to be really accepting there.
871
00:41:05,507 --> 00:41:07,342
♪
872
00:41:07,342 --> 00:41:09,344
And I think if we can work
in our school systems
873
00:41:09,344 --> 00:41:11,430
and in those younger spaces
to be more loving
874
00:41:11,430 --> 00:41:14,266
and accepting of all kinds of families,
875
00:41:14,266 --> 00:41:18,020
we teach our next generation
to be more kind and inclusive
876
00:41:18,020 --> 00:41:20,772
to each other, and that's how
we really make the shift.
877
00:41:32,242 --> 00:41:35,245
♪
878
00:41:37,748 --> 00:41:41,376
[mall chatter]
879
00:41:42,794 --> 00:41:45,255
JENN:
Transitioning is a huge undertaking,
880
00:41:45,255 --> 00:41:47,925
and it's not for
the faint of heart by any means.
881
00:41:49,259 --> 00:41:51,803
Even though you're the same person,
now, all of a sudden,
882
00:41:51,803 --> 00:41:53,972
you have kind of a new beginning.
883
00:41:53,972 --> 00:41:57,059
And your voice is different
884
00:41:57,059 --> 00:41:58,185
because you're happy.
885
00:41:58,185 --> 00:42:00,270
You're excited.
You're finally living your truth.
886
00:42:00,270 --> 00:42:02,272
You're, you're free.
887
00:42:02,272 --> 00:42:05,692
[indistinct chatter]
888
00:42:05,692 --> 00:42:09,112
MIKAYLA: It kind of feels like
our dad never really existed.
889
00:42:09,112 --> 00:42:11,281
Not only were our parents
getting divorced,
890
00:42:11,281 --> 00:42:12,908
so we were losing our dad that way.
891
00:42:13,951 --> 00:42:15,786
She, at the time, he,
892
00:42:15,786 --> 00:42:19,456
she left, and then, when we met her again,
893
00:42:19,456 --> 00:42:22,209
she was a woman,
and it was completely different.
894
00:42:22,209 --> 00:42:25,170
It felt like we were realistically
meeting a stranger.
895
00:42:25,170 --> 00:42:28,048
- How does it look, though?
DEBB: Eh, it's alright.
896
00:42:28,048 --> 00:42:30,926
♪
897
00:42:30,926 --> 00:42:34,096
JENN: We met online,
just as platonic friends.
898
00:42:35,305 --> 00:42:38,976
I had a big space
and had a vacant room available.
899
00:42:38,976 --> 00:42:42,980
Um, Debb was obviously separating
from her ex at the time
900
00:42:42,980 --> 00:42:45,232
and needed a place, so I offered it up.
901
00:42:46,900 --> 00:42:49,069
DEBB:
She had an enthusiasm for life
902
00:42:49,069 --> 00:42:52,072
that was something
I was not used to seeing.
903
00:42:53,031 --> 00:42:56,326
And it was just very attractive to me.
904
00:42:57,744 --> 00:43:01,665
JENN: We connected on a friendship level
that was very difficult to...
905
00:43:03,542 --> 00:43:04,960
explain.
906
00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:07,171
I'd never really had that connection
with somebody else.
907
00:43:07,171 --> 00:43:09,173
[street noise]
908
00:43:09,173 --> 00:43:12,301
DEBB: Three years in July. Yeah.
JENN: Right.
909
00:43:12,301 --> 00:43:14,136
We set up right over there.
- Uh-huh.
910
00:43:14,136 --> 00:43:16,722
- This is where Dad met me
with the...
911
00:43:16,722 --> 00:43:18,599
[sniffs] the things.
- Right.
912
00:43:19,516 --> 00:43:22,853
Pre-wedding enjoyment in tears.
913
00:43:22,853 --> 00:43:25,314
♪
914
00:43:25,314 --> 00:43:28,192
DEBB: My dad has come
a long way, actually,
915
00:43:28,192 --> 00:43:31,320
but my sons, I believe,
916
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:33,739
are wildly transphobic.
917
00:43:33,739 --> 00:43:35,032
Just the other day,
918
00:43:35,032 --> 00:43:37,826
I was talking to my ex-wife, and...
919
00:43:38,660 --> 00:43:42,414
I don't know if this is true,
but, according to her,
920
00:43:42,414 --> 00:43:45,542
my younger son allegedly said
that he would...
921
00:43:46,084 --> 00:43:49,796
kill me if he got the opportunity.
922
00:43:52,883 --> 00:43:54,259
JENN:
Met a girl in college.
923
00:43:54,259 --> 00:43:56,428
We ended up getting married
about a year and a half
924
00:43:56,428 --> 00:43:59,515
or two years after college,
and we started a family together.
925
00:43:59,515 --> 00:44:03,435
My youngest daughter was born in October,
926
00:44:03,435 --> 00:44:06,313
and in early January, February,
927
00:44:06,313 --> 00:44:09,358
I sought out my first gender counselor.
928
00:44:10,317 --> 00:44:13,320
I needed to find out what it all meant
because the feelings
929
00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,448
that I had suppressed
for a decade and a half
930
00:44:16,448 --> 00:44:18,033
had all of a sudden come back.
931
00:44:18,033 --> 00:44:19,368
♪
932
00:44:19,368 --> 00:44:22,746
I was diagnosed with
gender identity disorder.
933
00:44:24,164 --> 00:44:26,625
At the same point,
934
00:44:26,625 --> 00:44:30,587
because I was hiding this secret,
935
00:44:30,587 --> 00:44:33,173
my marriage started to break down
because I wasn't honest.
936
00:44:33,173 --> 00:44:37,135
I didn't know the words
to tell my ex-wife...
937
00:44:38,595 --> 00:44:40,347
You know, how do you explain
something to somebody
938
00:44:40,347 --> 00:44:42,766
when you really don't know how
to explain it to yourself yet?
939
00:44:45,060 --> 00:44:48,856
TRICIA: There were signs,
and we had talked about it,
940
00:44:48,856 --> 00:44:51,149
and there were a lot of lies
that came out of it.
941
00:44:51,149 --> 00:44:54,528
And so, there was never really any truth
to the whole situation.
942
00:44:54,528 --> 00:44:57,072
- We would have a fight or an argument
943
00:44:57,072 --> 00:44:59,908
about me being trans.
[Debb sniffles]
944
00:44:59,908 --> 00:45:02,369
It, a lot of time, carried over.
945
00:45:02,369 --> 00:45:06,039
We were not real good at shielding
946
00:45:06,039 --> 00:45:09,084
our disagreements from, from my daughters.
947
00:45:09,084 --> 00:45:11,837
♪
948
00:45:11,837 --> 00:45:13,839
MIKAYLA: I feel like a lot of people ask,
"How is she?
949
00:45:13,839 --> 00:45:15,215
What she's going through?"
950
00:45:15,215 --> 00:45:18,802
They don't realize the impact it
takes on not only me and my sister,
951
00:45:18,802 --> 00:45:21,972
but like my mom and my dad's parents.
952
00:45:21,972 --> 00:45:24,057
Everything like that. It's just...
953
00:45:24,057 --> 00:45:27,644
It's a lot for everyone around my dad,
954
00:45:27,644 --> 00:45:30,147
and that's the part
that people don't realize.
955
00:45:30,147 --> 00:45:32,482
- Their father and I separated,
956
00:45:32,482 --> 00:45:35,694
and we, basically,
957
00:45:35,694 --> 00:45:38,572
were kind of left with nothing.
958
00:45:38,572 --> 00:45:40,073
♪
959
00:45:40,073 --> 00:45:43,702
MIKAYLA: When she left,
and we lived with our mom,
960
00:45:43,702 --> 00:45:45,287
a single mom who's a teacher,
961
00:45:45,287 --> 00:45:48,040
so it's not like we could afford a house.
962
00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:50,709
We lived with someone
for a year and a half,
963
00:45:50,709 --> 00:45:54,421
and my dad bought this house, lived here,
964
00:45:54,421 --> 00:45:58,050
then met Debb, and had this
like happily-ever-after it felt like.
965
00:45:59,426 --> 00:46:02,012
TRICIA:
We went from a 4,000-square-foot house
966
00:46:02,012 --> 00:46:04,181
to two bedrooms.
967
00:46:04,181 --> 00:46:06,892
At one point, my kid was
bullied at her high school
968
00:46:06,892 --> 00:46:08,602
for being technically homeless
969
00:46:08,602 --> 00:46:11,605
because we didn't have
our own home anymore.
970
00:46:12,689 --> 00:46:15,734
EMMA: When the transition happened,
when I was in high school,
971
00:46:15,734 --> 00:46:18,153
I didn't know how to explain it.
972
00:46:18,153 --> 00:46:20,697
Like, "Hey, my dad, like--"
973
00:46:20,697 --> 00:46:22,616
There, all my friends
are talking about my dad,
974
00:46:22,616 --> 00:46:25,410
but I don't, like, in my head,
didn't have one.
975
00:46:29,164 --> 00:46:31,333
[cars flipping]
MIKAYLA: No, you get two for nothing,
976
00:46:31,333 --> 00:46:32,793
and then Em got a run of three.
977
00:46:32,793 --> 00:46:35,212
TRICIA: Well, I still can take it.
- I was just saying.
978
00:46:35,712 --> 00:46:36,713
- Ten.
979
00:46:36,713 --> 00:46:38,340
It made us a lot closer,
980
00:46:38,340 --> 00:46:40,717
so we try to look for
the positive parts of it
981
00:46:40,717 --> 00:46:43,846
because we could have definitely
thrown the towel in.
982
00:46:44,263 --> 00:46:46,640
Thirty-one.
- Four.
983
00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:48,517
TRICIA:
We moved into Minneapolis.
984
00:46:48,517 --> 00:46:51,311
We kind of left not only the safe family,
985
00:46:51,311 --> 00:46:54,481
but the safe suburbs,
and moved to this big city.
986
00:46:54,481 --> 00:46:57,025
That was a big scary move.
987
00:46:57,025 --> 00:47:00,320
And I think it just made us,
all of us,
988
00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:03,115
including my kids,
who were quite young at the age,
989
00:47:03,115 --> 00:47:05,075
see that there's
other people out there
990
00:47:05,075 --> 00:47:06,577
and other ways of life.
991
00:47:06,577 --> 00:47:08,161
♪
992
00:47:08,161 --> 00:47:11,456
JENN: Family-wise,
I wasn't expecting to have a relationship
993
00:47:11,456 --> 00:47:15,419
with my ex-wife as friends. I wasn't...
994
00:47:16,420 --> 00:47:18,964
expecting my daughters to be in my life,
995
00:47:18,964 --> 00:47:21,967
and through the work that...
996
00:47:22,551 --> 00:47:25,762
you know,
conversations that Deb and I have had
997
00:47:25,762 --> 00:47:28,682
and some of the work that my ex
998
00:47:28,682 --> 00:47:32,769
was able to do with
helping them understand,
999
00:47:32,769 --> 00:47:35,772
um, we've worked on bringing
them back into my life,
1000
00:47:35,772 --> 00:47:39,401
and, and, they're--
they wanna hang out now.
1001
00:47:39,401 --> 00:47:41,278
[indistinct chatter]
1002
00:47:41,278 --> 00:47:42,696
That was a good shot, May.
1003
00:47:44,198 --> 00:47:46,950
TRICIA:
I think we're all in a different spot now.
1004
00:47:46,950 --> 00:47:48,660
I can't, I can't say it's perfect.
1005
00:47:48,660 --> 00:47:50,954
Like, life isn't perfect,
and things aren't perfect,
1006
00:47:50,954 --> 00:47:52,748
but we're able to...
1007
00:47:54,082 --> 00:47:56,084
be cordial
1008
00:47:56,084 --> 00:47:58,003
and sort of co-parent in a way.
1009
00:47:58,003 --> 00:47:59,254
♪
1010
00:47:59,254 --> 00:48:01,256
JENN: So make sure you
hit right down in here.
1011
00:48:02,633 --> 00:48:04,676
MIKAYLA:
I invited my dad to my sporting events
1012
00:48:04,676 --> 00:48:06,553
for the first time this year,
1013
00:48:06,553 --> 00:48:08,347
and I felt like that really helped.
1014
00:48:08,347 --> 00:48:11,475
That's in the white.
That went further than yours.
1015
00:48:11,475 --> 00:48:14,436
- Just being able to learn more
about a community
1016
00:48:14,436 --> 00:48:16,772
that we didn't necessarily have a part of.
1017
00:48:16,772 --> 00:48:19,191
It wasn't that we were
against any kind of community,
1018
00:48:19,191 --> 00:48:20,734
but we didn't know a lot about it.
1019
00:48:21,443 --> 00:48:24,363
So, May did say she's learned
a lot more about this community
1020
00:48:24,363 --> 00:48:26,823
and learned how to talk to people about it
1021
00:48:26,823 --> 00:48:29,451
and be more open to accepting others.
1022
00:48:31,161 --> 00:48:33,622
DEBB:
Jenn's daughters are my daughters,
1023
00:48:33,622 --> 00:48:35,290
for all intents and purposes.
1024
00:48:36,166 --> 00:48:39,795
They treat me unexpectedly well.
1025
00:48:41,129 --> 00:48:44,591
They were the ones who listened to me
1026
00:48:44,591 --> 00:48:46,844
that I was in the Air Force,
1027
00:48:46,844 --> 00:48:50,389
and then, as a Christmas gift,
they made me a blanket
1028
00:48:50,389 --> 00:48:53,308
with Air Force themes on it.
1029
00:48:55,018 --> 00:48:58,313
And it was so touching because
someone had actually listened to me,
1030
00:48:58,313 --> 00:49:00,190
and they weren't even related to me.
1031
00:49:00,190 --> 00:49:02,109
[indistinct chatter]
1032
00:49:02,109 --> 00:49:05,320
MIKAYLA: It helped to know
what my dad was feeling
1033
00:49:05,320 --> 00:49:07,489
and why she felt like she did.
1034
00:49:07,489 --> 00:49:09,491
It was nice to know
1035
00:49:09,491 --> 00:49:11,994
that it was more than just her.
1036
00:49:12,828 --> 00:49:15,455
Like there's more people out there
who are like this.
1037
00:49:15,455 --> 00:49:17,457
JENN:
Bring this foot forward just a touch.
1038
00:49:17,457 --> 00:49:18,709
There you go.
1039
00:49:21,837 --> 00:49:23,839
Good hit! Look at that!
Right down the middle!
1040
00:49:24,923 --> 00:49:28,468
I am now Dad to my daughters again.
1041
00:49:28,468 --> 00:49:32,639
And even though I'm Jennifer,
and I'm a female,
1042
00:49:32,639 --> 00:49:35,976
and I go by she/her pronouns,
1043
00:49:35,976 --> 00:49:39,104
that is a title that
I will always own for my daughters
1044
00:49:39,104 --> 00:49:41,565
is Dad and Father.
1045
00:49:41,565 --> 00:49:44,193
[sizzling]
1046
00:49:44,193 --> 00:49:46,153
♪
1047
00:49:46,153 --> 00:49:48,447
TRICIA:
If I can give any advice would be
1048
00:49:48,447 --> 00:49:50,949
to just keep moving forward,
1049
00:49:50,949 --> 00:49:53,660
making sure there's the honesty,
1050
00:49:53,660 --> 00:49:57,164
and not saying what people wanna hear,
1051
00:49:57,164 --> 00:50:00,250
but saying what is the truth.
1052
00:50:00,250 --> 00:50:03,462
[indistinct chatter]
1053
00:50:03,462 --> 00:50:07,132
- Think it's really hard to accept someone
1054
00:50:07,132 --> 00:50:09,468
for who they are when you've known them
1055
00:50:09,468 --> 00:50:11,512
as someone else for so long.
1056
00:50:11,512 --> 00:50:14,806
But I also think you need
to give an open mind
1057
00:50:14,806 --> 00:50:16,808
because our world is changing
whether people like it or not.
1058
00:50:16,808 --> 00:50:19,353
[inaudible]
1059
00:50:24,942 --> 00:50:27,945
♪
81471
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